Can You See Colour?
by Winterlie
Summary: When in a World where you cannot see colour until you first touch your soulmate, Caitlin Snow lived an incredibly grey life for quite some time. Until she met him, that is. A colourmates fanfiction that follows the story of Barry Allen and Caitlin Snow, also known as the pairing SnowBarry. Will also include some Barry/Iris, Iris/Eddie and a lot of Cisco humour...
1. Chapter 1

(())

Nobody knows how such a notion began, nor how to explain it. There was no consistent scientific data to summarize the phenomenon nor any solid evidence to disapprove the principles of it all. It was a scientific, marvellous mystery.

However, despite the lack of knowledge and, unfortunately, evidence there was still five factors universally acknowledged and accepted as fact and true-

1) Until one meets his/her life-partner or soulmate, their vision will remain black and white.

2) When one meets his/her life partner, their vision will reveal the colour 'yellow' and only yellow.

3) When one meets his/her soulmate, they shall see all the colours of the Universe.

4) You are destined to meet your soulmate at one point, be it young or old.

5) There was absolutely and utterly no explanation as to why or how this happened.

 _It just did._

 _And it happened to a certain fast meta-human and an adamant scientist._

(())

Caitlin Snow did not have any intention of finding a soul mate. None whatsoever.

In fact she was convinced that that the whole concept was ludicrous to say the least. There was no say on your part who it was to be which alone was enough to put her off the whole charade. For someone who had always been in charge of her life, an independent female scientist with a promising career in biochemistry, the idea of not being in control of her own heart was horrendous.

However, she herself had first hand seen the statistics on the subject – there had been no cases at all where someone never found their other half. Therefore she could only conclude that the likelihood of avoiding hers until she passed on was low. Non-existent even.

She just hoped that when she did happen to find her significant other that it would be at the right time in her life (and more importantly; her career), and that it would be simple. A simple relationship of complete and utter understanding.

Unfortunately for her, neither request would be fulfilled because her soulmate would turn up at the worst possible time, in the worst possible state and it was _most-definitely not simple._

(())

25 hours beforehand she had lost Ronnie. Her fiancé. Her life-partner.

Someone who had wormed his way into every fibre of her being and despite being dead, still occupied every inch of her very existence. He had grabbed her heart and refused to let it go since the beginning and even beyond the end. He was just Ronnie. Her Ronnie.

And he had just _died_ because of an invention _she_ helped to create.

He had just _died_ because of a party _she_ forced him to attend.

He had just _died_ because of _her_.

He had just _died_.

Yet her grief was something she could not acknowledge let alone embrace – for the particle accelerator that had killed Ronnie had also left many casualties in its wake. Patients that needed a Doctor, just as her boss Harrison Wells had described.

"I know you are hurting Caitlin. I have also lost someone of significance first-hand and I can assure you that I understand your current emotions completely" Wells sighed heavily, the deep enveloping frown more evident on his face than ever, "But that grief that's presently consuming you? Use it now and transfer it into your work as a Doctor. The particle accelerator has left hundreds wounded, all patients that need a Doctor. Right now you are not and can't be grief-stricken Caitlin. No, you are Doctor Snow, the woman who's going to save the lives of many tonight."

She knew he was right – she just didn't want him to be. The grief still was fresh, like an open wound and his words were the salt applied; and it stung. Yet despite the overwhelming tidal wave of emotions that hit her and attempted to carry her away, she stood defiantly at her feet. She had to be a doctor right now, someone who saved others from being swept away by the same wave.

So with that said and done, she turned to her Boss of countless years and nodded, her cheeks still tear-stained. There would be no time to grieve.

"My first patient?" She asked, her voice wavering slightly between words.

"You start with a Mr Barry Allen who's being transferred from the local Hospital as we speak."

(())

She should have known that he would be no ordinary patient when he first arrived. The signs, they were all there, looming in the corners of her mind. That little ray of happiness as she walked towards her latest patient after just losing her fiancé should have raised the alarm bells. _She should have seen it coming._

But she didn't.

"Patient 0925?" She asked robotically as she approached Cisco and the coma-induced body.

"Also known as Barry Allen" Cisco replied, "After the particle accelerator exploded it caused a giant thundercloud to form and this guy got struck by lightning as a result. Current state is comatose."

"Struck by lightning at that frequency and concentration?" Caitlin said incredulously.

Cisco gave her a similar look as if he couldn't quite believe it himself. "He was also blasted back into already charged chemicals – I know, he should be dead."

"But that's – that's impossible," Caitlin stammered slightly as she gazed at the man in front of her. Despite the sleeping mystery that lay in front of her, she couldn't help but notice how attractive the guy was – she didn't need to see colour to be able to tell that. Shaking her head slightly, she turned reluctantly from Mr Allen to face Cisco once more, her inner doctor taking control.

"I want to put him on the ventilator immediately- we don't know the extent of his injuries yet and the report the Hospital staff have given me is absolutely useless. It looks as if he's been through multiple cardiac arrests since discovered but the readings are looking a little odd to me. So check –"

"-the heart monitor ratings and do a first-hand sample." Finished Cisco, reading her mind, "I'm on it Caitlin."

She watched him leave on her orders with a hesitant look on her face. Why? _He had called her Caitlin._

Well of course he had, that was her name after all. And yet, it wasn't. Not really. Caitlin was someone who had everything planned in life, from her work to her love life. To Ronnie. Caitlin was someone who was whole. Who was at home in this very lab with her life-partner by her side.

This girl right now was not Caitlin Snow. Right now, she was Doctor Snow and she had a patient.

"Alright then Patient 0925, let's check your vitals." She sighed, grabbing the blood pressure cuff and a stethoscope. Reaching for him, she carefully lowered her hand and pressed her fingers onto his arm to help turn it around to the correct position. And it was at that moment everything changed.

Because at that very moment, her vision filled with the colour.

Caitlin staggered back, almost tripping over her own feet as the whole room brightened around her. No longer was everything black, white and yellow but beautiful shades of red and green and blue and so many more colours of the spectrum. She had to cover her eyes for a moment, one fleeting moment so that she would not go blind by the glorious light around her. It was almost as if she were discovering the secret, the very key to the heart of the Universe for this single touch was so defining, so exhilarating that she could hardly contain herself. And then reality struck her like the lightning bolt that almost killed Barry Allen.

Her coma induced patient, Barry Allen, was her soulmate.

The one thing she had hoped to avoid the majority of her life, perhaps altogether. The one thing that both Ronnie and she had agreed above all was ridiculous; having your life planned out for you without any say on your part. One of the many reasons why they had decided to get married in the first place, to rebel against fate, against _this_. And look where that got her; a dead fiancé and a soulmate.

Ronnie had barely been dead a day. She was not ready to face the grief that came with his loss, let alone the repercussions of discovering her injured soulmate. She was just not ready to do any of those things.

And so she wouldn't. Not for a while.

Not until Barry Allen woke up that is.

(())

Cisco walked back into the lab with the statistics that Caitlin had asked for and some shocking results that would definitely spark her interest accompanying it. He had expected her to be immersed with her work as a Doctor, just as Wells had instructed her to do so. He knew this was her way of grieving, just as it was his. After all, it was he who shut the door that ultimately led to Ronnie's death.

What Cisco hasn't been expecting however, was Caitlin to be lying on the floor with her eyes widened.

"Woah Caitlin!" Cried Cisco, dropping the data in his hands immediately and running towards his friend, "Are you okay?"

Cisco watched his friend struggle to keep her chest moving rapidly from her erratic breathing and inconsistent heartbeat. Her eyes travelled everywhere, looking at every inch of the room as if she'd never seen the place before.

"Caitlin?" He asked slowly, failing to hide the worry in his voice.

Slowly but surely, Dr Snow managed to remove her eyes from the various colours that were consuming her and turn to her friend. The worry stretched on his face was more evident than ever and she knew she had to calm down and return to a normal state.

"I'm fine Cisco…" She breathed heavily.

"What happened? Why are you on the floor?"

Caitlin stared at the unconscious Barry Allen with shaking hands as she answered Cisco "Absolutely nothing happened, I just tripped that's all."

She would live to regret that lie.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey everyone! Thanks for checking out my story, I'm new at writing fanfiction (this is my first ever one) so I was so happy to see so many reviews already. Special thanks to-**

 **-AReiss215**

 **-Peterfrost2001**

 **-aylel**

 **-for the support. Anyway here's chapter 2, only a few snipbits of Snowbarry but I needed to set up the foundation of the story so I hope you don't mind.**

 **Chapter Two**

*Nine months later*

Barry Allen could feel himself waking up from what felt like a short-lived nap. His fingers twitched and were almost nagging him to get up for he had work to do in the morning, like a student needing to get up for school. Therefore rather reluctantly, he slowly began to open his eyes whilst sighing heavily.

Like a camera coming into focus, his eyes began to absorb his surroundings. However, instead of being greeted to his usual messy bedroom with scattered clothes and the overpowering scent of morning coffee, he found himself in foreign surroundings. A lab, to be more precise. He could tell it was a lab straight away, having worked in one for quite some time – the shiny white surfaces and multiple scientific monitors surrounding him gave it away. It was then he noticed the monitors strapped to his chest and the rather annoying sound of his own heartbeat echoing the lab. The familiar red line beeped at every interval and –

 _Wait_.

 _Red line?_

And similarly to the sea _crashing_ into the Cliffside with impeccable violence, Barry's world came _crashing_ down around him.

The bedsheets he was wrapped in were a tinted white. The curtains beside the only window were a light shade of blue. The clothes he lay comfortably in were a deep, dark, luscious red. The walls surrounding him? Blue. The bluest of blues. The monitors on his chest? A mixture of greys. The cables connecting them? Green. Red, orange, green, purple, blue, yellow, pink, brown, black, turquoise, white and all the colours of the world stood before him, sweeping him off his feet and drowning him in their light.

This could only mean one thing. Everybody knew what this meant. But when had he-

"He's awake!"

-found his soulmate?

(())

"You're probably very confused Mr Allen, but I can assure you that you are in a safe environment with the very doctors that helped conserve your life. We are happy to oblige in filling any gaps you may have in your memory of how you ended up here." Spoke Harrison Wells to Barry with a satisfied look on his face. They were currently occupied in Wells' office with Cisco and Caitlin standing nearby, both shocked to see the body they had been monitoring for several months to be active – alive and well, or so it seemed. However, if any of the men had taken a closer look at Caitlin's current expression rather than marvel over Barry they would have noticed how she seemed more in shock than the rest (even more so than Barry was at that very moment.) She couldn't help but simply stare dumbly at her soulmate that has somehow managed to make every colour in that room more vivid and bold than before.

 _He had literally brightened her World._

"Why am I here?" Started Barry, beginning the endless list of questions that were raiding his mind. #

"You were struck by lightning in your lab and thrown back into several active chemicals the night the particle accelerator exploded. Which is pretty awesome man, nobody survives a lightning strike!" Grinned Cisco before continuing, "Well the lightning part was awesome, the slipping into the coma for nine months was less so but-"

"I was in a coma for nine months?" Cried Barry, thinking of all the time he missed – thinking of Iris West. His best friend and love that he had left alone for _nine months._

 _Nine months._

Caitlin Snow grimaced at the look on Barry's face as it troubled her how exposed he was at the moment. Barry was devastated and upset that he'd missed so much, that much was obvious. He was unlike her in that aspect; he wore his heart on his sleeve. She, on the other hand, had learnt to guard her emotions well.

"Sort of?" Shrugged Cisco, not knowing what to say in this situation. Quickly he looked at Caitlin for help, who in turn widened her eyes at the idea of talking to _him_ for the first time when he was conscious.

"She came to visit you. Everyday." Caitlin blurted, the very first thought that sprung to mind. Damn it, why had it been _her_ that popped into her head first when talking to her Barry? Why couldn't she have mentioned Joe, his father instead?

"Iris?" Said Barry, a warmth filling his chest as he said her name. It was nice to know he was not forgotten by the one person that mattered to him more than anyone else – his life partner and best friend. If it had been the other way around and it was she who was in the coma for nine months, he knew he would never leave her side. Not for one single moment.

"Yes. Iris West." Replied Caitlin flatly.

It was at that moment that Barry turned to face the auburn haired female with the frown on her face. He didn't appreciate her tone when talking about Iris but couldn't help but be distracted by her hidden beauty. Emphasising the word _hidden_. The scowl on her face masked that beautiful demeanour but it couldn't hide everything. He could still see her deep, chocolate brown eyes and pale pink lips. Her pale with tinted pink cheeks and long auburn hair that glowed when the sun hit it. She possessed an unearthly beauty matched only by his Iris. Perhaps even superior- if she smiled more. His life-partner on the other hand did nothing _but_ smile.

"Why do I see colour?" Barry asked, staring at Caitlin who gulped as he did so.

"You couldn't see colour before?" Exclaimed Cisco as Harrison Wells raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"No."

"We were under the impression Miss West was your Soulmate Mr Allen." Said Wells.

"No, she's my life-partner," Replied Barry, turning from Caitlin to Wells "When I went into this coma, I could only see yellow. Everything else was grey. But now, I can see red, blue, green, brown-"

"We understand your predicament Mr Allen." Said Wells cutting Barry off, "But we can assure you that no soulmate of yours has come forward in the last nine months we have had the pleasure of assisting you. Neither one of my colleagues knows of any soulmate either."

Barry's mind raced back and forth with the sudden news of his soulmate. She had obviously been here, been in contact with him; or else he wouldn't be able to see colour. But where was she now? How had she disappeared so quickly and yet been in reach? She was just gone, a vacant space in the physical and mental reality of it all.

Gone in a _flash._

"How could she just be here and, gone the next" He breathed, sitting himself down.

"I do not know Mr Allen-"

"Call me Barry, sir."  
"I don't know Barry." Wells started again "But I can promise you that we here at Star Labs shall do everything in our power to find her."

"We will?" Cried Cisco and Caitlin in unison, their arms folding in synchronisation.

"But why?" Asked Barry, not understanding how his doctors could be so _nice_. Especially when this was something that really had nothing to do with them.

"You are our patient Barry Allen, and we take care of our very own."

"I'm not your patient anymore, I've woken up from that stupid coma."

"I wouldn't quite say that just yet Barry. I assume you have not yet learnt of your newfound abilities? How your genes mutated themselves on the night of the particle accelerator?"

Barry merely shook his head as Harrison Wells began to explain how he, Barry Allen, was now the stuff of myths and legends. How he was a meta-human. How he was no mere mortal, not anymore.

Caitlin and Cisco had learnt of Barry Allen's meta-human transformation during his third month of comatose. The statistics and data all pointed towards the same thing and with new cases on screen each passing day of humans of unearthly powers, neither of the pair could deny the evidence in front of them. Barry Allen was the impossible – he was not human yet he was not alien. That night of the lighting strike had given him the power of a God, the power of speed. Why, that was why his heartbeat didn't register on the hospital monitors when the event occurred; it was going so fast that they couldn't pick up the beat. Although it had taken a while to accept, now she could not imagine another scenario. Her soulmate was someone particularly _special_ indeed.

Caitlin found herself unable to tear her eyes away from Barry as her boss explained to him the multiple variables involved in the lightning strike and how he was the impossible. She watched as he paced around the room, sat down, got up again, smacked his head against his palm, fell back down again, stood up, walked out in distress, come back a few hours later with a cup of coffee in hand and the story of the incredible spilling from his lips, showing them how fast he could really go, how he was a meta-human. She watched as he ran back and forth, in a literal flash and how he had decided to team with the lab to fight the crime on the streets. She watched as he smiled at her for the very first time, and she noticed how colours sparkled whenever he was around. She watched as they began the search for his soulmate, beginning with making a list of all possible people he may have come in contact with when in comatose.

Caitlin watched and said nothing.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

 **Sorry this chapter took over a week to post, I was busy with GCSEs etc. I've made this one extra long to make up for it AND have included a lot more SnowBarry moments. Progress in their relationship will be slow guys, I'm not one to instantly pair characters up. Where's the fun in that? No I like putting them under the test first lol.**

 **We will be seeing more Iris and Joe in the next chapter and some Soulmate Searching so that's going to be funnnn. Thanks for all the support guys and I love your reviews, they inspire me to keep going. I hit a bump in the road recently that I'm not going to go into much, but every time I log on and see one of your replies it seriously cheers me up so I'm eternally thankful for you all.**

 **Thanks again everyone! And behold, chapter three...**

 **(())**

It had been a week since Barry had begun his long-term partnership with Star Labs and had consequently become the Flash. A week since he had woken up from the coma that managed to snatch nine months of his existence. Nine months of wasted time; wasted hours that could have been spent fighting overpowering meta-humans. Nine months of wasted minutes that could have been spent with his life-partner Iris. Nine months of wasted seconds that could have been spent with his mysterious soulmate. _Nine months simply wasted._

To quote the infamous Thomas Edison 'Time is really the only capital that any human being has, and the only thing he can't afford to lose.' Unfortunately however, he had lost a significant amount of it.

And he had lost _her_ , whoever she was.

Yet in his own little way, he was making up for lost months through the exhilarating thrill of every chase. Yes, he had only caught a handful of meta-humans under his secret identity, but with every success came an overwhelming sense of achievement that he could honestly say he had never felt before. After the failure of finding his mother's killer and freeing his innocent father from IronGates, there had been little room to feel a sense of pride from any activity. But when doing _this_ , he experienced emotions never felt before. Almost as if he had finally found _the something_ worth living for.

What also made his current lifestyle even better was the fact he had a great team back at Star Labs, even if he had only known them a mere week. Looking back, he had acted rather badly when at first confronted with his meta-human mutation, however they still stood by him despite his various flaws. Wells had quickly resumed the figure of mentor and Cisco the friend he wished he had had beside him throughout his school years. Yet, although he quickly felt at home, he still hadn't quite established any relationship with the third musketeer at the Labs; with Doctor Caitlin Snow.

At first he thought he was over-thinking things. Perhaps she avoided him because she was socially awkward. Maybe she didn't like to speak to him much because she sympathised with the loss that followed his missing soulmate. Perhaps she was having a bad week. However, over time even he, Barry Allen, ran out of excuses for the woman who had saved his life a few months previously and was left to one final conclusion; Caitlin Snow disliked him.

It wasn't as if he had done something outrageously malevolent that had caused this general hatred that emitted from herself whenever the two of them were left with one another. Those moments when they were indeed alone together were very rare and he couldn't recall doing anything during them. Yet despite his overall friendly exterior the pattern still remained- every time he walked into a room, she walked out. Every time he started a conversation, she'd end it bluntly. Every time he said hello, she would wave goodbye.

"She doesn't hate you Barry." Breathed Cisco as he extracted a rather _explosive_ diamond from its casing. The scientific misadventure of this week was to put in place some explosive properties in the Flash's suit so when overcome in combat he would be able to, and to quote Cisco on this, _'Blow those super-bitches up_.'

It was unanimously agreed by all the remaining sane scientists that this would most definitely end badly.

"I'm pretty sure she dislikes me. Every time we spend more than five minutes in the same room together, she comes up with an excuse to leave immediately."

Cisco was only half-paying attention to his newfound friend due to the extremely explosive diamond in his grasp. Yet, even he had to agree that Barry had a point- Caitlin did seem to be avoiding him, but maybe not for the reasons he was presuming. Call it intuition if you wish, but Cisco couldn't shake off the feeling that Caitlin didn't hate Barry. Not one little bit.

There was something else going on here.

"When life gives you lemons, create a crude electromagnetic battery" said Cisco, turning to Barry, "In other words, don't assume Caitlin hates you. Prove it and move on with your life, find that soulmate of yours, date Iris, or, I don't know, _help me make the greatest suit of all time that comes with explosives_."

"So I need to prove it" Said Barry absentmindedly ignoring Cisco's selfish hints, "Like an experiment?"  
"I guess I'll be making this suit by myself then" Grumbled Cisco in response before giving Barry a look, "Yes, exactly like an experiment. What would you do if you wanted to test how mice reacted to the presence of rats?"

"I'd place them in a suitable environment for a few hours and monitor their reactions to one another." Answered Barry, the elementary science rolling off his tongue with ease.

"So apply the same principles here. Spend some time with Caitlin and monitor her response to you. And, here's a _random_ idea – help Cisco build his beyond awesome suit afterwards. _Everyone wins_."

"None of us are going to help you build that suit Cisco, it's an accident waiting to happen." Grinned Barry, grabbing his coat, "But I'll think about the Caitlin experiment, that could actually work."

"Of course it'll work, the plan's fool proof. Now regarding the suit - does nobody care for science anymore? Just imagine the possibilities if the Flash could not only run faster than a speeding bullet, but also blow stuff up at the same time. _You'd be unstoppable."_ Cried Cisco.

Barry Allen wouldn't even dignify his friend with a response to that argument. Chuckling, he made his way to the elevator, coat in hand and a 'fool-proof' plan constructing itself in his mind. He would discover the reason behind Caitlin's distaste, even if it required using his meta-human abilities to do so.

He would find out.

 **((()))**

For the first time in her life, Caitlin Snow did not know what to do.

It was a foreign feeling, one she definitely did not like considering she was always the woman with a plan. And a back-up plan to the said plan. Perhaps even a back-up plan to the back-up plan if everything went a little pear shaped.

In this circumstance however, she had no plan, no back-up plan nor any back-up plan to the back-up plan.

She was completely, and utterly at a loss as to what she should do next. Nine months ago she was absolutely sure this was what she wanted; to keep her soulmate, Barry Allen, a secret. As soon as he would wake up she would make sure he was okay then have him walk out of her life without ever once looking back. After all, it _was_ for the best. Nobody wanted to have someone as damaged and lost as she was for their other half – no, Caitlin was doing them both a favour.

However she could never have predicted that her boss, Harrison Wells would actually ask him to stay with them at Star Labs.

She could never have predicted that Barry would end up being the Flash, the meta-human that would save this city far more than once.

She could never have predicted being asked to help search for his bloody soulmate.

Her plans had been broken, just as her capability to love when Ronnie died, and now she was left clueless as to what her next move would be. She couldn't tell Barry who she was, who his soulmate was now. Not after lying for nine months – she would lose both her team's trust and him. He wasn't even hers to lose, yet she couldn't help but feel that way.

Perhaps it was the soulmate bond talking, but she knew the moment he agreed to stay was the moment she would never be able to let him go.

However she would never allow him to get as close to her as Ronnie had. Look where it got him; buried with no body, gone with no famous last words, and dead with no return ticket. She couldn't go through that twice, especially now the stakes were so much higher than ever before. Thus she had quite a predicament.

So Caitlin did all she could think to do. Ignore _him_. Avoid _him_. Barely talk to _him_ , barely look at _him_ , and barely even think about _him_. The further away from Caitlin Snow _he_ was, the better. After all, we all know where a relationship with her would lead.

Go ask Ronnie.

 **((()))**

It was the end of a very long and stressful day for those who worked at Star Labs. Having captured the latest meta-human Rainbow Raider and put him behind bars (well figuratively speaking – technically he was in the cortex below the lab) the four were tired. And, in Cisco's case, very hungry.

"I say we all go out for food" Suggested Cisco, "There's nothing like hunting bad guys to put a hole in your stomach."

"The scientific logic behind your reasoning is shocking," Replied Caitlin, rolling her eyes, "Anyway unfortunately I've still got work left to do here."

Cisco turned to Barry with pleading eyes, mirroring a lost puppy.

"Sorry Cisco but I have to pass too. I need to get started on the over-delayed Soulmate Search." Said Barry apologetically.

"You two are no fun." Grumbled Cisco as he looked towards his boss for companionship. Unlike the previous two, Harrison Wells was indeed available for the outing and the pair soon left with talks of Chinese in the air. To anyone other than Caitlin, Barry and Joe it would have looked as if they hadn't just been combating a deadly meta-human a few hours earlier.

However, they knew better.

Caitlin did not realise the uncomfortable position she was left in until both Cisco and Wells had left and the only thing that separated her and Barry was the awkward silence looming in the air. She had done her best for the past week to avoid him at any given opportunity, yet here they both were, alone together due to Cisco's unceasing appetite. She would most definitely make him pay for this later, one way or another.

But before Caitlin could make any opportunity for herself to exit the lab, Barry interrupted her thoughts and called out to her, a nervous grin on his face.

"So Caitlin… how's it going?"

"Good." She replied, trying not to overthink her responses. Keep it blunt, do not engage – maybe he would 'take the hint' theresay and leave her be.

Unfortunately for Caitlin Snow in this circumstance however was that she had not taken account of the fact that this was Barry Allen; meta-human and soulmate who would not leave her be without answers as to why she wanted to be left alone in the first place.

Barry pretended to look around the room as if he was interested in everything but her – playing it cool as any other man would. With intake of breath and a hopeful glint in his eyes he tried again to strike conversation with the woman who had been nothing but blunt to himself.

"So what do you think of Cisco's explosive suit idea?"

"I think he's deluded."

"Mm? In theory, it could work as the science behind it is technically correct and it is Cisco we are talking about here – he isn't called a genius for nothing."

"I am aware." Stated Caitlin, biting her lip to prevent speaking anymore of the subject. She could partially tell that Barry was attempting to gain a response from her – why, she did not know. Perhaps it was the soulmate connection trying to tie the two together, the two who had been apart for so long. Or maybe he was simply curious.

"Caitlin?"

"Yes?"

"Why don't you like me? Well not _like like_ , but _like_ as in friendship or just company or acquaintanceship or maybe I should stop talking?" Stammered Barry, cursing himself internally for such display of idiocrasy. Times like this he reminded himself of Felicity and how the pair were alike when it came to babbling and utter nonsense.

"Probably for the best if you do." Said Caitlin. She couldn't help but feel slightly sorry for him – he was flustered to say the least.

"Well? Why don't you?" Said Barry, trying not to lose focus of the task at hand. He had not just embarrassed himself like that just so he could not learn of the answers he seeks, especially since it was distracting him from what he wanted to do most; find his soulmate.

Ever since Barry woke up and learnt of the truth regarding his MIA soulmate, he had not been able to think clearly, act rationally. Why would she leave him? Did she even know who he was? Did he know who she was? Such questions ricochet in his head since he and Cisco had begun the quest of finding _her_. However, the task was constantly being put on hold due to the meta-humans roaming around the city and his distractions regarding Caitlin. Barry couldn't, no wouldn't, put the task off again and to ensure such he needed to sort the ongoing battle with Caitlin out – then he would be able to focus entirely on being the Flash and finding _his soulmate._

He needed to do this. More than ever.

Caitlin's calm and cool exterior faltered for a few moments as she searched her head for possible answers that wouldn't point out her true intentions. She could see him clearly analyse her for potential lies or give-aways as to her reasoning behind such bluntness but exhaled when she realised he couldn't find any. So with an erratically thumping heartbeat, Caitlin replied to Barry.

"I don't hate you Barry Allen. It's just…" She sighed heavily, throwing her work on the desk, "While you were in that coma for nine months, I grieved the loss of my fiance. The explosion that gave you those miraculous powers? Also killed him. _And it's_ _hard_ to look at the same man every day that's being the same hero that he was."

Barry looked at Caitlin, who by this point had bitten her lip to the point it had bled slightly. He looked, and he sighed because Barry Allen knows grief more so than most. He had faced it so many times that life had sometimes looked so bleak and dark that there had been no potential for hope. But look at him now, a hero, saving the city both day and night. He could see colour, he had a soulmate and he had friends who understood. So, as he sighed he reached over and gave Caitlin a short but meaningful hug.

"I lost nine months of my life that night, and my soulmate. I know exactly what it's like to lose someone and I can tell you from experience it _sucks_." He glanced at her, "But life will change, and whether in the form of super meta-human powers or a simple cup of coffee, _it does change for the better."_

It was the spur of the moment thing of course. At least, that's what Caitlin told herself upon reflection of the events that unfolded. But for some odd reason, some bizarre and peculiar reason, she had done something so idiotic that would come back and haunt her in the future after Barry's little speech. She had done something _so, so, so stupid_. But she had been so moved by his words that at that particular moment, she did not care about the consequences of her actions.

"I'll help you find her." Caitlin blurted as Barry moved from the hug.

Barry frowned slightly, his eyebrows raised, "Find who?"

"Your soulmate. I'll join you and Cisco on your stakeout missions _. We'll find her."_

 **(())**

 **So what did you think? Did anybody see the new season's promo? I've got so many ideas now for these two you wouldn't believe... *que evil laugh***


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